WPS vs GPS – 5 reasons to use WiFi positioning system devices in your business
WiFi has an inherent advantage. It enables devices to connect to the World Wide Web without having to connect using wires. The device has to have a WiFi module that connects wirelessly, keeping the moving devices connected.
WiFi Positioning System or WPS is a technology used to calculate an asset tag’s position for a real-time location system (RTLS). The technology is relatively new. Wireless Access Points or WAPs form the base for WPS. Devices are connected wirelessly through access points that resemble nodes. You come across Wireless Fidelity or WiFi zone services in places like airports, hotels, restaurants as well as libraries. These places offer the ability to connect to the internet wirelessly for their patrons.
How WiFi Positioning works
Step 1: The WiFi receiver component on the smart device will scan surroundings for the presence of WiFi signals. It identifies the WiFi Access Points in the vicinity
Step 2: The WiFi receiver does not log into a network and actually connect to the WiFi Access Point. It only measures the WiFi network signal intensity
Step 3: It also considers the Cell ID of the Access Point the device is close to. This assists the device to run the position algorithm and determine its location. Thus the basis of the data recorded, the device can triangulate its position.
How WiFi Positioning compares with GPS
- Global Positioning System is quite accurate, however, it does not perform well indoors in absence of clear line of sight to the positioning satellites
- WiFi does not suffer accuracy issues indoors as well as outdoors
- WiFi receivers consumer less power when compared to GPS receivers
- Time taken by WiFi receivers to record location is much less than the GPS receivers that take 30 seconds or even more to determine the location
- WiFi heavily relies on the availability of WiFi Access Point in its vicinity for location determination. Hence when in a remote location without a WiFi Access Point, WiFi Positioning System has a limited performance.
GPS shortcomings and advantages
WiFi Positioning System is slowly taking over the GPS receivers. GPS shortcomings include:
- Location inaccuracy at certain places – In a situation where all the GPS service satellites line up for a certain location, this poor satellite geometry may hamper the location accuracy. Inaccurate positioning can lead to errors in overall location reporting and affect system forecasting capabilities.
- Multipath – When the device is traveling through a hilly region, the GS signals tend to bounce off mountain steeples, in fact, this happens in a densely populated area where there are tall buildings in the vicinity. These scenarios pose a problem in location triangulation, hence causing a considerable delay in calculating the location.
- Delayed real-time updates – As the GPS signals cross the earth’s atmosphere, they tend to slow down when traveling past the ionosphere and troposphere. This leads to delay in real-time updates to the driver and especially to the base station.
On the other hand, GPS still has some advantages that can not be denied. The GPS receiver still proves their worth with weather forecasting, preventing auto theft, locating persons in far flung areas, military applications, etc. GPS receivers are strong in terms of navigating and target tracking in remote areas. Even weapon systems rely on GPS for pin-point accuracy to hit static or moving targets. They prove accurate for application on land, air or even in the sea.
WPS edge over GPS
When it comes to comparing WPS vs GPS. Hand-down, WiFi Positioning System scores over GPS when the device is restricted indoors. As GPS receivers rely heavily on attaining line of sight from the GPS satellite, they are not able to perform well indoors. Similarly, GPS receivers take a beating when traversing through densely populated areas, in the mountains, and even in dense forests.
The popularity of WiFi Access Points is on the rise. These access points act as a backbone for WiFi positioning. More access points simply translate to better positioning abilities for the receivers. WPS is much more accurate for localization and ultimately conquers the indoor positioning domain.
The most popular application for WPS is where GPS systems face battery power shortage. WiFi sniffing modules are energy thrift and find their use in Delivery Vehicles, Trailers, Refrigerated Trucks, Stock / Inventory on Palettes, Parcels, etc.
WPS Benefits
As the benefits of the WiFi Positioning System receivers continue to mount, they hve begun replacing GPS receivers.
There are other indoor positioning technologies like Bluetooth Low Energy beacons or RFID (Radio Frequency Identity) that require signal specific hardware. WiFi receivers constitute part of the generic hardware of a company. Almost every company facility is equipped with Wi0Fi Access Points. Hence the ecosystem is already there. There is no need to invest in infrastructure when you switch to WiFi Positioning. Any additional investment in hardware and its deployment can prove costly and time consuming.
WiFi Positioning System is highly scalable. You can go on adding devices, and your existing WiFi Access Points can carry a lot of devices. WiFi positioning is an instant-on system. A typical WiFi Access Point deployment can easily provide for accurate positioning. However, more Access Points can be installed to improve the accuracy. A WiFi infrastructure improvement project can greatly enhance support for a more significant number of devices as well as provide positional accuracy.
Five reasons to use WiFi positioning system devices in your business
We have discussed numerous benefits of a WiFi Positioning System. And our points of comparison with GPS and other existing technologies have highlighted the inherent advantages of WPS. WPS scores way above GPS, RFID, BLE. It also provides most accurate positioning outdoors wherever WiFi Access Points are present. Not only are the WPS equipment accurate, but their infrastructure setup is also economical as they do not require the installation of additional hardware across the company operations. As your company decides to choose between indoor positioning solutions, it becomes important to know the economies of scale and levels of accuracy you need to achieve. The overall cost will also include additional hardware and maintenance. WiFi positioning is the most successful yet long term solution as:
- It is effective in providing accurate location both indoors as well as outdoors
- It takes advantage of existing infrastructure, without the need to invest heavily in installation and training for your staff
- It provides an economical yet scalable positioning system
- It consumes low power, so there is no need to worry about battery consumption over long periods
- It can easily complement other positioning tech for flexible deployment.
A WiFi Positioning System holds good in tracking movement of goods and vehicles both indoors and outdoors. It is compatible with the latest technologies and is easy to customize. It can augment the company’s existing GPS based systems to provide overall flexibility in location tracking throughout the company’s ecosystem.